Read a Book, Feed a Neighbor
Rethinking ad spend, and putting the money where it's actually needed
The Problem
When I set a publication date for Company of Ghosts, I earmarked a few hundred bucks for an advertising budget. I saw this as a necessary evil. Despite the pain of yet another upfront expense, payola is a real thing that works, assuming you a) have the budget for it, and b) can stomach the thought of writing a check to a trillion-dollar company that’s already getting paid to sell your book.
At the time, I thought I could stomach it, but the world is a different place than it was in January. I could write long, passionately worded essays about why this is the case, but this is one of those situations where a picture really is worth a thousand words. Or in this case, two pictures.
Here’s the first, courtesy of the “Promote and advertise” button in my KDP dashboard:
And here’s the second, courtesy of my local food bank:
And so I’m sitting here with a little imaginary envelope marked “Ad Spend,” but with SNAP and WIC benefits set to expire in November, and the Colorado governor asking for $10 million from the state’s General Fund to make up the shortfall, I’m starting to wonder if I could “promote and advertise” my book in a way that actually benefits my community.
Here’s what I’m thinking.
The Pledge
For the entire month of November, I’ll be donating my royalties from the Kindle Unlimited program to the Larimer County Food Bank. Based on the latest royalty calculator, this comes to about $1.65 per book. Assuming the food bank’s math is right, this means that for every copy of Company of Ghosts you read, I can feed one of my neighbors for an entire day.
I’ll also be donating $1.50 for every physical book sold, whether it’s through Amazon or your local bookstore. On the Amazon side, I would make a little more in royalties than I would spend in donations, but I would lose a little bit on the IngramSpark side. Since I sell more copies through IngramSpark, I assume this will be a wash.
The Invitation
I’m also extending an invite to other authors to participate. If you’d like to take part in Read a Book, Feed a Neighbor during the month of November, leave a comment below or send me a message with the following info.
Book: the book you’d like to advertise (limit one per author)
Genre: the genre of your chosen book
Blurb: a one or two sentence plot description
Program: the food assistance program you’d like to sponsor, whether it’s a local food bank or something larger
Pledge: the amount you’re pledging
Purchase: your preferred link(s) to purchase the book
Once you’re added to the list, share the post in your own feed to help get the word out. As the list grows, would-be readers should have a pretty sizeable list of titles to choose from.
The List (sorted A-Z by genre, then title)
🕰️ Historical Fiction 🗺️
Book: Desiderium by Julie Furxhi
Genre: Historical Fiction
Blurb: Three resilient women navigate the dangerous paths of love, revenge, and loss in 20th century Albania.
Program and Pledge: 100% of profits will be donated to the Food Bank for Larimer County
Purchase: Buy a Copy Here
Book: Searching for Shakespeare by Erin Lorandos
Genre: Magical Realism
Blurb: Shakespearean expert Wesley Jameson has always known the truth: that Mary Sidney, the Countess of Pembroke, is the true author of these timeless plays and poetry. But now, anti-Stratfordian time traveling villains, The Gathering of the Hours, are out to stop him from telling the world, once and for all.
Program: Kyrene Family Resource Center (through Ahwatukee Mamas)
Pledge: All proceeds in November
Purchase: Amazon
Book: Song of the Spirit: A Story of Love and Freedom by M. Lee Prescott, Author
Genre: Historical Fiction
Blurb: In this breathtaking tale of courage and romance, two Cheyenne sisters are kidnapped and taken to Rose Academy, a harsh boarding school established to eradicate indigenous children’s knowledge of their language and culture. These unforgettable characters intersect with historical events, including the Wounded Knee, as they risk all to be free.
Program: Fall River Community Food Pantry
Pledge: 100% of my royalties for sales of Song of the Spirit: A Story of Love and Freedom for the month of November
Purchase: Amazon
Book: The Lucky Hat Mine by J.v.L. Bell
Genre: Historical Mystery/Cozy Mystery
Blurb: Wife-wanted ads are always risky business, but Millie Virginia never imagined she’d survive the perilous trip across the Great Plains and arrive in the mining town of Idaho Springs only to find her intended husband in a pine box. Was his death an accident, or murder? Millie might not live long enough to find out.
Program: Food Bank of the Rockies
Pledge: 100% of royalties for copies purchased at Filter Press, indie bookstores, B&N, Bookshop dot org, and all ebook retailers besides Amazon; 30% of royalties for all copies (ebook or print) purchased on Amazon. The author pledges to donate $250 to the program if royalties are below this dollar amount.
Purchase: Filter Press
💀 Horror 🪦
Book: Hallway by Andy Futuro
Genre: Horror
Blurb: In a crumbling apartment building, Tim and Jess struggle to hold their lives together amid failing lights, strange noises, and a restless cat fixated on a mysterious locked door. When their neighbor disappears without a trace, the thin veneer of reality begins to crack, revealing shadows that blur the line between paranoia and something far darker. “Hallway” is a chilling psychological thriller that explores the fine line between fear and madness, where every creak and whisper might be more than just in the mind.
Program: Upper Valley Haven
Pledge: All Hallway royalties for November
Purchase: Amazon
🖋️ Literary 📓
Book: Mars in Retrograde by James Worth
Genre: Literary/Speculative
Blurb: After his trailer park vigilante efforts go awry, Marshall is forced to skip town with the selectively mute love of his life, his newly sober ex-lover, and the twelve year old kid he’s accidentally adopted, as they seek solace at the approaching end of the world. From rural Georgia to a sustainable cult in Missouri, Marshall and his friends are forced to reckon with their past mistakes and reclaim a sense of free will before it all falls apart.
Program: Greater Boston Food Bank
Pledge: 50% of all profits
Purchase: Nascent Night Press or Bookshop
Nonfiction
Book: Alternate Worlds by Brian Schneider
Genre: Memoir, Gaming
Blurb: A former R&D lead for Magic: the Gathering walks through memory lane of playing and making the well-known card game.
Program: SF Marin Food Bank
Pledge: 100% of all royalties from Amazon & Kindle Unlimited for the month of November
Purchase: Amazon
🤖 Science Fiction/Fantasy ⚔️
Book: Company of Ghosts by J. Kyle Turner
Genre: Fantasy
Blurb: Born in the final year of a civil war that claimed her mother’s life, Jalina grew up with more questions than her quiet father was willing to answer. When a visiting professor named Andza hints that he knows more history than he’s allowed to teach, she leaves school in order to learn more.
Program: Food Bank for Larimer County
Pledge: All Kindle Unlimited royalties, plus $1.50 per physical book
Purchase: Bookshop or Amazon
Book: Transference: Book One of The Narrator Cycle by Ian Patterson
Genre: Sci-Fi, Dystopian
Blurb: What illness would you trade for survival, what bargain would you strike with death? In a mysterious city where diseases can be transferred, the rich buy longer lives without pain, and the poor get a short life of constant sickness.
Program: Care and Share - Food Bank for Southern Colorado
Pledge: All ebook, kindle unlimited, and paperback royalties
Purchase: Bookshop or Amazon
🔍 Suspense/Thriller 🔪
Book: All (Dead) Girls Lie by Piper L White
Genre: Young Adult Thriller
Blurb: In the Fall of 2004, Quinn Levi’s sleepy town is roused by a string of murders of the most popular girls in school, one of which Quinn can’t help falling for. This spooky slasher is equal parts gay, girly and only a tad bit gory.
Program: Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
Pledge: 100% of royalties for books sold in the month of November
Purchase: Barnes & Noble
Book: Anyone But Her by Cynthia Swanson
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Blurb: In 1979, when clairvoyant Suzanne Parry is 14, her mother Alex is killed during a robbery at Alex’s record store in Denver. After Alex’s ghost raises alarm bells about Suzanne’s father’s new girlfriend, what Suzanne can’t foresee are the lifelong consequences as she heeds Alex’s warning. In 2004, returning to Denver with her family, Suzanne must reckon with the ghosts—and repercussions—of the past.
Program: Food Bank of the Rockies
Pledge: 100% of royalties for copies purchased at indie bookstores, B&N, Bookshop dot org, and all ebook retailers besides Amazon; 30% of royalties for all copies (ebook or print) purchased on Amazon
Purchase: Books2Read or Bookshop
Book: Lethal Succession by Ruben Elustondo
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Blurb: The dynasty is on the brink. With his health failing, a CEO must choose between his three children and a loyal associate. But as greed, betrayal, and blackmail rock the fight for succession, the struggle for power turns deadly.
Program: Houston Food Bank
Pledge: 50% of ebook, kindle unlimited, and paperback royalties during the month of November
Purchase: Kindle or Paperback on Amazon
📕 Anthologies 📘
Book: Weird Waypoints: A Speculative Travel Guide to the Between
Genre: Anthology of weird fiction (scifi, fantasy, and horror included)
Blurb: These thirteen weird, surreal, and bizarro tales shine a spotlight on pitstops and side trips, celebrating that the journey can be stranger than the destination.
Program: World Central Kitchen
Pledge: All proceeds for November and December
Purchase: Amazon or Bookshop
What a wonderful thing for you to do!
This is SUCH a great idea!